Response of different grades of pulmonary artery hypertension to balloon mitral valvuloplasty

Abstract

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) in rheumatic mitral stenosis adversely affects long-term prognosis.1,2 Balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) exerts favorable effects on PAH in mitral stenosis.3–5 Results of BMV are comparable to those after surgery.6 Patients with severe PAH show immediate benefit after BMV.7,8 However, it is not known how different grades of PAH behave after BMV. There are no large studies on the effects of BMV on various grades of PAH. The present study on patients with different degrees of PAH (1) analyzes the immediate outcome and follow-up of residual PAH after BMV, (2) predicts the factors that determine the immediate decrease in PAH, and (3) throws light on the severity of the disease process in patients with greater degrees of PAH.